1. Field
Aspects of embodiments of the present invention relate to a pixel data compression device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image may be stored in a display device as information about a plurality of pixels. For example, an image may be split into a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and information about each of the pixels may contain information about the color and brightness of the pixel. Information about one pixel can be split into gray components of red, green, and blue, for example. However, in a monochromatic display, information about one pixel is not split by color, but may contain gray level information.
With the technological advancements, the demand for high-resolution images has increased, leading to an increase in the total size of pixel data that contains information about pixels. Accordingly, apparatuses and methods for compressing pixel data to increase data transmission/reception speed and overcome the limited storage space of a storage device are being developed. However, data loss can occur in the process of compressing pixel data.
For instance, when a display device displays a low brightness (for example, a low gray-level) image, and the gray levels of the low gray-level image are changed, the proportion of the changed gray levels to the previously displayed gray levels is relatively high when compared with a high brightness (for example, a high gray-level) image that experiences the same gray-level change. Therefore, the gray-level change of the low gray-level image can be recognized relatively easily when compared to the same gray-level change of the high gray-level image. Accordingly, when the same compression method is used for low and high gray levels, the loss of pixel data at the low gray levels may be more easily observed, thus deteriorating display quality.